Firing means for tijnnel-kiiins



J. B. OWENS: FIRING MEANS FOR TUNNEL KILNS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14| 1918.-

Patented Oct. 19,

ado/Lun,

PATENT ortica.

JOI-IN B. OWENS, Cvll METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY.

riante ron TUNNEL-.Kitas Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed 4August 14, 1,918. Serial No.724'9,82 7.

. while moving faster than is possible with tunnel kilns now known tothe art, thereby increasing the quality and production on kilns ol thischaracter.

I-Ieretoieore the common practice has been to provide a singlecombustion chamber, or two chambers located opposite each other at thesame point of the length of the tunnel, and to thereby produce a singletiring zone within the tunnel. For instance,l the Owens tunnel kiln hasvheretofore had such single firing zone and such a kiln per- `forms itswork well although the travel oi the cars bearing the goodsor ware to beburned has, ot necessity, been quite slow to enable the goods or ware tobe subject toV the requisite s oaking heat for a sutlicient period oitime. f

In my present invention I provide a multiple firing or burning Zonewithin the tunnel and produce the heat therefor by a plurality ofcombustion lchambers located at different, tliough relatively close,points of the length oi' the tunnel. In practice two such combustionchambers at Vdiilerent points of ithe length of the tunnel, thusproviding a double tiring or burning Zone, will meet all requirements ofthe desired results but the invention is not thus limited, as anynumber, beyond one, may be employed. A sinble combustion chamber,corresponding in length to the aggregate of the lengths of a pluralityof combustion chambers, will not serve the same purpose as a pluralityof separate combustion'chambers for the reason that substantiallycomplete combustion, such as I obtain in my improved combustion chamber,will not be obtainable in a single combustion chamber of a lengthsuliicient to provide the length oi liring or burning Zone in the tunnelwhich it is the object of the present `:invention to provide.

Vith the multiple firing zone obtained by the use of a plurality ofcombustion chambers at dilierent points of the length ot the tunnel, theperiod oi' time during which the goods or ware on the cars is subject tothe soaking heat necessary to efifect proper burning or firing is suchthat the cars may have a relatively fast movement in the tunnel, ascompared to the relatively slow movement possible where there is but asingle firing zone. Relatively pertect comhustionand adequately hightemperature being obtained from the combustion chamber I employ andwhich is set forth and claimed iiranother application executed of evendate herewith, (Serial No. 251,29@ a pluralityV of such combustionchambers at dii-ferent points of the length oin the tunnel insuresproper burning of the goods or ware which a single long combustionchamber `with several outlets into the tunnel, will not provide.

While my invention is particularly adapted for use in connection withthe Y Owens type of tunnel" kiln, it is adapted or.use in connectionwith any tunnel kiln. The disclosure hereinafter given and found in thedrawings is,therefore by way of illustration of the invention yand notin limitation thereof.

`In the accompanying drawings z' Figure l, is a longitudinal sectionthrough a kiln having the presentV improvements' Fig. 2, a cross sectionon line 2 2, 1;- and VFig, 3, a vertical longitudinal section on line 33, Fig.Y 2. l

The tunnel of the kiln appears at l, the

stack or other draft means at 2, and the rails on which the cars travelat 3. The cars carrying the goods or ware enter the right-hand end ofthe kiln at l and emerge from the lett-hand end thereof at 5. Thepreheating zone of the kiln is lshown at 6 and the cooling zone at 7.Between these two zones is the iiring or burning Zone 8.

Heretofore the iring or burning Zone has been what may be termed single,due to the fact that only one combustion chainber (or two on oppositesides ot the zone at the same point of the len 1th thereof) has beenemployed to furnish t ie heat for said zone. Consequently, the soakingheat available for the goods or ware on the cars traveling on the track3 is limited: to a Zone of relatively short length. Therefore, the carsmust, necessarily, in a single ring Patented oct. 19, i920.`

zone tunnel kiln, travel relatively slow to L keep the goods or warewithin said zone for a suflicient period of time for the latt-er toreceive proper burning before passing into the cooling zone 7. Thecapacity of a single burning zone is thus limited.

My present invention provides a multiple firing or burning zone 8, thatis, one which is much longer than obtainable by the use of a singlecombustion chamber. In practice the zone 8 will be double the length ofthe usual firing Zone but it may be three, or four times the length ofthe usual single zone. Consequently, the cars carrying the goods or waremay travel relatively fast, as compared to their travel in a singlefiring zone kiln and the goods or ware be subjected to the requisitesoaking heat, with resulting increase in the output of the kiln.

I provide a plurality, two being shown, of combustion chambers 9,arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the kiln. These chambers, in thebroadest aspect of the invention, may be fired in any desired mannerbut, to obtain the most desirable results, I prefer to arrange thechambers and fire them in the manner set forth in another applicationexecuted of even date herewith (Serial No. 251,294). Accordingly, thechambers on opposite side of the tunnel are connected by an arch 10,preferably semicircular, whose end portions constitute the outermostWalls of the chambers 9 and whose crown constitutes the top of thetunnel. Bafiles 11 depend from the arch in line with the inner faces orwalls of the benches l2 of the chambers 9. The chambers are fired fromone or both ends thereof substantially parallel to the tunnel.Preferably, the firing will be initiated at the end of the chamber 9nearest the exit end 5 of the kiln. This manner of firing, lengthwise ofthe chambers 9, and the employment of the arch l0, insures substantiallycomplete combustion of the fuel prior to the passage of the heat intothe tunnel through the openings 13. Furthermore, the arch deflects andradiates the heat into and throughout the goods or ware on the cars.

Coal may be used for fuel. I have, however, shown means at 14 and 15 forthe introduction of either fuel oil or gas into the chambers 9.

A short space 16 exists between the chambers to afford the necessaryaccess thereto for supplying fuel and regulating the fires. The space,however, is so short that there is practically no loss of heat in thetravel of the goods or ware from one section of the multiple zone 8 toanother section thereof.

The firing Zone S is, in effect, a multiple of zones blended into onezone.

I consider it necessary to employ a plurality of combustion chambers 9instead of one long chamber having a plurality of outlets into thetunnel for the following reasons. Complete combustion of the fuel priorto the passage of the heat into the tunnel is, in my improved chamber,obtained, so that an oxidizing ire results which burns, but does notspeck, blacken, discolor, or otherwise damage the goods or ware. Were asingle long chamber substituted for the pIurality of combustion chambersof the present invention, complete combustion within said chamber couldnot be obtained and there would be a loss of fuel, inability to obtain ahigh heat such as is required in the zone 8, and, instead of anoxidizing fire, there would result a reducing fire with incident loss ofheat units and damage to the goods or ware. Furthermore, too long acombustion chamber, fired from one point in the direction of its length,causes the breaking up of large heat units by such expansion as iscaused by contact with heated walls or intensely heated air.

My invention contemplates the provision of a plurality or multiple ofcombustion chambers, providing a multiple firing Zone in a tunnel kilnfor the purpose of subjecting the goods or ware to a longer soaking heatat the apex of the temperature necessary to burn the goods or ware.

lVhat I claim is:

`1. A tunnel kiln having a multiple firing or burning Zone, a pluralityof combustion chambers communicating with the multiple firing or burningzone at different points of the length thereof, means for firing saidcombustion chambers in a direction other than toward their communicationwith the firing zone, said chambers having means to directly andinitially deliver the heat and products of combustion derived fromfiring onto the lower portions of the ware in the tunnel, said chambersmaintaining said multiple firing zone for the purpose of subjecting thegoods 0r ware to a relatively long soaking heat at the temperaturenecessary to burn the same, and draft means adapted to cause the heatand products of combustion to directly flow from said chambers into thetunnel and in the same direction through the multiple firing zone afterfirst striking the lower portions of the ware.

2. A tunnel kiln havin a multiple ring or burning zone, a plurality ofcombustion chambers communicating with the multiple firing or burningzone at different points of the length thereof, means for firing saidcombustion chambers in a direction substantially parallel to the lengthof the tunnel and angular to that of the delivery of the heat andproducts of combustion therefrom into the multiple firing zone, saidcombustion chambers having means for defiecting the heat and products ofcombustion into the tunnel, and draft-inducing means for causing theheat and products of combustion to directly flow from all of saidchambers into the tunnel and in the same direc tion through the multiplefiring zone.

3. The method of firing a tunnel kiln consisting in maintaining amultiple ring zone therein by heat and products of combustion derivedfrom substantially complete combustion developed independently in eachof a plurality of chambers outside the tunnel in a direction other thantoward the communication of the chamber With the firing zone of thetunnel and directly deflected from said chambers to dili'erent points ofthe length of said zone, and by draft means causing the heat andproducts of combustion to travel directly from all the combustionchambers into the tunnel and in the same direction through the multiplefiring Zone.

In testimony lwhereof I affix my signature.

JOHN B OWENS.

